Purls of Wisdom

Purls of Wisdom

As you may have noticed, it seems the cold weather and snow took a break this Winter, leaving us with 60-degree days in February and sunshine instead of snow days. Though at first this incredibly out of character Pennsylvanian weather took me by surprise, I can’t help but admit I’ve enjoyed it! On the tail of Groundhog Phil's ominous shadow - which doesn’t seem to be the most accurate barometer these days - I gladly welcome Spring, even if a bit early this year. But it’s not just the warmer weather I look forward to this season, no. These are just a few more of my favorite things about these bright and lively months:1) Color! From grasshopper-green buds to floral hues spanning the rainbow, I can’t wait to see the great outdoors match the many colors of yarn and embroidery floss I see in the Studio every day!2) Longer days = more time to be outside, to get things done, and of course, more of that precious vitamin D!3) April Showers. Not only do these glorious weather phenomena bring May flowers, but also rainbows! And what else goes along with showers? Thunderstorms, rain boots, and the exhilaration of dashing for shelter when one suddenly hits.4) Spring Camp at the Studio.Two whole weeks of laughing and making totally cool spring-inspired crafts with some of my favorite people? Yes please.What are you most looking forward to this Spring? Make a list in the comment area below and enjoy!

Interested in joining the fun? Sign up here for Spring Camp March 26th-30th and April 2nd-6th - spots are going quickly! Check out our other Spring Camp locations in Maryland, Washington DC, and Pittsburgh.

Looking for sweet Spring project ideas? Check out Miss Alisha's How To Tuesday videos and be sure to subscribe to receive new projects in your inbox every week!

This is President’s Day weekend, and while many folks take advantage of a few extra days off by going away, I’m going to take you to the nation’s capital. No, it isn’t to go to camp with our comrades down at The Sidwell Friends School, but to the White House. You read that right, The White House. I don’t have top secret clearance, but I do have inside knowledge of the crafts that used to go on in The First House. Time for a little bit of handwork and history my friends...

During the time of the American Revolution it was considered unpatriotic to buy goods that were made in England, so many American women picked up needles & yarn and began to stitch. Knitting was a symbol of liberty!

Do you know of any First Ladies that were handy with yarn? Here’s a quick list:

There are records that show Martha Washington sold knitted socks to raise money for the Revolutionary era troops

Edith Roosevelt used to have knitting circles at The White House

Grace Coolidge sponsored a knitting competition that was judged by Vogue Magazine

Eleanor Roosevelt was once introduced as “first knitter of the land” and was pictured on her Christmas card knitting

Crafts are important to thos of us that participate in them. Whether it's sewing, crocheting, knitting, or embroidery there is probably a little bit of history involved in it that you never knew about.

I’ll bet that you never thought knitting was part of the fabric of our American History did you?!

Camp fair season is in full swing, as Miss Julia wrote last week. One way to get all of that fabulous summer camp information is from the MetroKids parenting magazines that can be found all over the Philadelphia region. In addition to advertising summer camps and camp fairs, this resource also has interesting articles and fun things to do with your kids at home.

We were so pleased to be invited by MetroKids to submit a project to be included in the January issue and I'd love to share it with you - just in time for Valentine's Day. Homemade Valentines are always the best to create and to receive and you can make this one with your kids with just a few simple materials that you probably have around the house. Especially if you have kids who like handwork...

So while we are busy introducing new families to our family at camp fairs, you can get busy with your kids doing this fun activity, or any of the great crafts Miss Alisha creates on our website for How-To Tuesdays!

After watching children come through the studio today, Wednesday Febuary 1st, in shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops I stopped thinking that Summer was so far away. In reality, just a few short months from now we will be planning trips to the beach, eating ice cream outside and of course for many kids Summer means going to Camp!

Now a days with so many camp offerings parents and kids have to make a lot decisions about where to go and what to do. With these endless choices you might wonder how does one make an educated decision on what camp will be the best fit? At The Handwork Studio we have found that camp fairs are a one stop shop for families to see a lot of different camps in the region and to get a more intimate look at them. Rather than tediously checking countless programs out online camp fairs offer the opportunity to speak first hand to the counselors and directors at each of their respective camps. Many even have visual aids, props and equipment to show and sometime demonstrate what goes on in their camp on any given day. Another perk of visiting a camp fairs is that they are free and can be a great afternoon or evening out with the kids. Many camps will offer a small activity or a give away that makes it fun for everyone.

At the Handwork Studio we love to bring kids in on the experience. When we set up our booth we bring many examples of projects that we could potentially create over the Summer and also offer kids to make a quick easy project on the sewing machine with one of our trained instructors.

Since we feel camp fairs are a fantastic way for families to experience us a big part of my job throughout January, February, and March is being out on the camp fair circuit. A few days a week I travel around NJ, PA, DC and MD region setting up camp fairs at schools, malls, hotels, pharmaceuatical companies and more. I truly find these fairs to be invigorating. One of my favorite things is meeting new families that are excited to learn about us because their child has expressed an interested in what we offer and of course it is great seeing alumni Handwork Studio campers visitng our booth with big smiles and a hug!

If you are interested in checking out one of the upcoming camp fairs that The Handwork Studio will be at feel free to check us out here to see where our next stop will be!